Silver Hawks visit Plymouth

Elementary school students pepper players with questions

Elementary school students pepper players with questions

April 05, 2006|CHRIS GAUTZ Tribune Staff Writer

PLYMOUTH -- If the first-graders at Washington Elementary want to know who those tall strangers were that they got autographs from Tuesday afternoon, they may have to wait until next year when they learn how to read cursive. The South Bend Silver Hawks visited Plymouth's elementary schools Tuesday before their game against Tri-State University at Bill Nixon Field. When the players arrived, students peered out from their classrooms to get a look at the tall players and anxiously waited until it was their classroom's turn to talk to them. The players faced a barrage of questions from the students in class and during recess. "How'd you get so good at baseball?" "Do you win a lot?" "Are you guys on baseball cards?" "Who are your girlfriends?" The players visited several classrooms, talked about the team and signed a lot of autographs. First-grade teacher Judy Newberg laughed as several of the students peered down at the strange markings on their autograph sheets. She said the students will begin learning to read and write in cursive next year. First-grader Caleb Koss didn't mind and was glad to see the Silver Hawks. "When I was little I used to go to their games," the 7-year-old said. "I think they're really good." Caleb said that after school he was going to sign up to play baseball. He wants to be a pitcher like the players who gave him autographs. Madison Stevens, 7, said she plays softball and was happy the players came to visit. Madison said she will keep her autographs in her room and said she would like to watch the Silver Hawks play this year. Will Boyd, 7, said he thinks he will probably be as tall as the players he met someday. Will said he used to play T-ball and said he had fun meeting the guys on the team. "It was pretty neat," he said. Principal Michelle Riise said the students look up to the players as role models. "They're really drawn to them," she said. "They enjoy having them come every year." Staff writer Chris Gautz: cgautz@sbtinfo.com (574) 936-2921